November 28, 2008

Categories:

Mitchell Wade, the former defense contractor who pleaded guilty to paying $1.8 million in bribes to imprisoned former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.), gave information on five more members of Congress to the Justice Department, according to his lawyer.

In addition to pleading guilty to bribing Cunningham, Wade has admitted to funneling $78,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.) and former Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), as well as steering gifts to Defense Department employees in an effort to get them to help his company, MZM Inc. Wade paid a $1 million to the Federal Election Commission over these improper contributions. There is no evidence that Harris or Goode, who lost re-election bids in 2006 and 2008 respectively, engaged in any illegal behavior in response to the contributions, according to DOJ.

Wade's lawyers are trying to avoid a prison sentence for their client, arguing that Wade deserves home detention. Federal prosecutors are seeking four years in prison for Wade.

Wade, his lawyers said, has acknowledged his "serious crimes," but has otherwise lived a life "characterized by loyalty and dedication to his country, devotion to his family and compassion for others, and that his cooperation with the government has been truly extraordinary." They claim that Wade's cooperation with the government led to guilty pleas or convictions for seven other individuals.

Wade is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15.

Justice Dept. lawyers, in their own filing on Wednesday, acknowledged that Wade "provided extremely extensive cooperation with the government's investigation" of Cunningham and other matters, but they also note that Wade's "greed, corruption, disdain for the rules that bind honest citizens - be they government contractors, officials, or private individuals - is staggering. In the process, Wade also became a very wealthy man. He must now be held accountable."

MZM, Wade's former firm, received over $150 million in government contracts from 2002 to 2005, with Cunningham earmarking a large portion of that total. Beginning in 2001, according to court documents, Wade started bribing Cunningham, eventually buying Cunningham's house for an inflated prived, buying the ex-lawmaker a yacht and other antiques, footing the bill for trips and meals, and paying Cunningham more than $500,000 through a company that the California Republican owned.

Brent Wilkes, another Cunningham briber, was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Cunningham is serving a 100-month prison term, the longest ever given to a member of Congress.

"In sum, Wade's corruption was no momentary lapse of judgment," prosecutors wrote. "It was well thought out, carefully implemented, pervasive and highly effective at enriching Wade at the expense of honest government that the public hopefully expects and certainly deserves."

Share this Article

Reader Comments (23)

Pages

1

Based on Mr Wade's attorney's sentencing request this criminal may now be valuable as a
teacer .Now that a new twist.Kind of like having a seril rapist teach self defense to women."Mr. Wade has offered to provide valuable training to government agents concerning the
identification and deterrence of defense contracting fraud. Such training would teach
government agents how to identify the methods and tactics used by defense contractors and
others to disguise violations of Federal acquisition regulations and other requirements. That Mr.
Wade?s knowledge is better put to use in the community warrants consideration during the
determination of his sentence."
Filed by Howard Shapiro Equire for Mitchell Wade.If this is true Bush unwittingly created a very large anti-crime unit under his administration.

A rat and thief is neither D or R!!!! Investigate, prosecute and sentence the guilty ones. Public thrashing and executions,when appropriate, should be reserved for dirty politicians who violate the public trust. Keep turning over rocks and you're never know who you will find!!!

These names must have been submitted under the Gonzalez circus,thus they were "not recalled". What a disgrace the Bush admimnistration has been,they represented no one but their ideological,war-profiteering,selves. Katherine Harris? She should have been cuffed by the FBI after throwing votes away so this complete ******* could call himself president.

Nothing to gain??? Didn't you read the entire article, he is trying to avoid prison, wants "house arrest"...
Wonder what is going to happen to William Jefferson(freezer money), Charley Rangel(Tax evasion), Barney Fwank(boyfriend worked at Freddy Mac)??? And many more..

Those lieing, cheating, down right dirty, low down republicrooks,....
Don`t forget about,Calif. Congressman Jerry Lewis,Dana Roherbacher,and the "gay',guy,I can`t remember his name,he dresses very sharpley. (of course he`s stil in the closet)I think his namr is David Dryer. I say, when the Justice dept. is finnally headed by someone of honor and trust,we`ll be able to get to the bottom of criminality by these above named crooks.... And More.

I just had a thought, why are we allowing these thugs to continue to have a net worth. they should be treated like drug dealers and crime bosses. TAKE IT ALL. this country should have a no tolerance policy when it comes to ill gotten gains involving white collar crimes. that is the way that we can recoup our losses. TAKE IT ALL.

Remember after bush had appointed all of the members of the Justice Dept, he went back and appointed 8 more to replace his original eight. Three of those were republican appointed employees in california who continued to go after the bribers and would not stop. Bush wanted it shut up before any more damage was done. Harris stole an election and now money. The right has no shame

You demoidiots make me sick - look in your own party that created this recession we're in with the downfall of Freddie and Fannie. Every top level democrat puke was right in the front with there hands out and taking money faster than the taxpayers can be cheated out of it.
Give me a break!!!

my -- you're not very well-informed, are you?
Stop listening to the sexually perverted drug abuser on the radio and read an actual economist sometime. You might figure out that you GOOPers are responsible.

jp - I'm sorry I don't listen to Al Franken and I wouldn't take a word of his for serious anyway. Then taking your comment in the lame context of what you have written I would be ashamed of writing such uninformed references because obviously the next four will put us in the toilet with Pelosi/Reid in charge!!

YES !AND RAINES - AND HOWARD AND JOHNSON - AND SCHUMMER AND DODD AND -- AIG - AND THREE MOTOR CO.-- WELL THIS LIST IS TOO LONG... AND BARNEY FRANK - AND JEFFERSON AND RANGEL---THIS IS RIDICULOUS ---! I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE WASHINGTON CLEANED OUT COMPLETELY.....THESE PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH EVERYTHING ...THEY GET ELECTED AND HAVE A LIFETIME JOB...WITH ALL THE PERCS AND A NICE RETIREMENT....--PLUS ALL THEY CAN "STEAL" DURING THEIR TERMS....
THERE HAS TO BE SOMEBODY IN THIS COUNTRY THAT'S HONEST....BUT HOW WOULD WE FIND OUT ? WE CAN'T BELIEVE THE NEWS MEDIA?
SICKENING!!!

YOU KNOW WHAT? THE DEMOCRATS ARE MUCH BETTER AT COVERING THINGS UP -- AND NOT ONLY THAT - THEY OVERLOOK THEIR OWN PEOPLE EVEN THO THEY KNOW THEY ARE GUILTY OF WRONG DOING -- SO DON'T SAY IT'S JUST REPUBLICANS...THE WHOLE D....MN BUNCH OF THEM ARE CROOKED AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN THERE FOR AWHILE...

Yes, Diane, Harris got a House seat as her reward, which she apparently used to solicite bribes from the likes of Wade & Wilkes.
BTW, to my @ 8:53 & 9:53, you clearly can't even read & respond to a question without making yourself look like a complete twerp. What part of "read an actual economist sometime" (JP@ 9:36) made you think of Al Franken? Even Al doesn't claim to be an economist. Also, this business of trying to insult "demoidiots": do you know that democrat (as opposed to a Democrat, such as Obama, who you can't even name) means someone who supports democracy as the best form of government?!? This means that you are challenging anyone who believes in democracy as idiots. So what are you, a royalist or just a less-restrictive totalitarian? Or just a narrow-minded puke spewing bile to convince yourself that eight years of Repugnican sh!t doesn't stink?